Phenospex develops the PlantEye F500, a novel sensor that combines a 3D laser scanner with a multispectral camera to phenotype crops by measuring plant height, 3D leaf area, projected leaf area, digital biomass, leaf inclination, leaf area index, light penetration depth, leaf coverage, and spectral reflectance. The founding team—CEO Grégoire Hummel and colleagues Uladzimir Zhokhavets and Stefan Schwartz—holds PhDs and degrees in plant science, physics, and operations research. The sensor uses a single optical path so it can overlay 3D data with spectral information in real time, actively projects light so it works day or night, and does not require reference images for calibration. Phenospex offers accompanying software that delivers actionable insights to clients. Current customers include plant breeders, phenotyping groups, and inputs companies running indoor and outdoor trials across many crop types. The company is expanding into robotics and automation to enable tasks such as harvest timing and robot guidance based on crop state and dimensions, and is partnering with a farmer on a robotic prototype; management says becoming a robotics manufacturer is not the long-term plan. The recent funding will also support geographic expansion and in-house technology development.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Jul 2018